Gym workouts during menstruation

Author: Timko Ilya - master of the whole project and fitness trainer.
2011-02-17

In general, I think this article should be written by a female trainer. However, due to numerous requests, I decided to tackle this issue. I anticipate that there will be many criticisms like: “How can you write about this if you're a man?!” But since I also train women, I frequently encounter the issues they face during menstruation.

Many women who regularly work out in the gym do not want to stop training during their periods. Although their friends and some doctors claim that it’s absolutely impossible to train during this time. This leads to vague doubts: are they doing the right thing by going to the gym despite everything?

It is possible to train during menstruation. The question is how much to adjust the workout intensity. This is related not only to subjective feelings (pain, weakness, dizziness) but also to the physiological characteristics of the body during this period.

During menstruation, there is a sharp decline in estrogen and progesterone levels, which negatively affects strength, endurance, and overall wellbeing. At this time, no woman can achieve peak athletic performance in principle, so it is best to refrain from intensive and heavy physical activity. Menstruation is certainly not an illness, but it can be compared to a mild illness, like… a cold. If you have a cold, you may not need to skip your workout, but you should reduce the intensity.

Now, here are some more specific recommendations. Most women experience varying degrees of pain in the lower abdomen during menstruation. With such pain, it’s better to either avoid abdominal workouts entirely or do something quite light. It's also advisable not to lift heavy weights for 8 repetitions or fewer. A weight that can only be lifted 8 times is already quite heavy for a woman. Additionally, exercises like squats, deadlifts, and hyperextensions can be skipped. Here are some examples:

In general, avoid exercises that require a strong forward bend of the torso. But this, as they say, depends on how you feel.

Overall, you should lift lighter weights and take longer breaks between sets. In individual cases, it's necessary to exclude the exercises mentioned above. In very rare cases, when menstruation is particularly difficult, it might be better to skip a workout altogether.

I would like to say a few more words about the menstrual cycle. After menstruation ends, there is a sharp increase in hormone levels in women, which in turn enhances performance and well-being. This period typically lasts about until ovulation (around 10-12 days). During this time, you can give high-intensity load and set records. After that, there will be a decrease, reaching its peak during menstruation.

I hope, dear women, that this article has helped dispel some of your doubts and fears. Good luck, and may you set new records!